A presentation from Tibbalds, Planning and Urban Design on the Salisbury Central Area Framework, followed by a round table exercise and a Q & A session.
Minutes:
Wiltshire Council was working to accelerate the urban development of Salisbury city centre, building on its strong historic core. This was driven not only by the desire to ensure the city recovered from the nerve agent attack of 2018, but also by the commitment to respond to the need to adapt and contribute to the economic opportunities and threats which were upon the city.
To help achieve this, the Council had appointed Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design to produce a ‘Central Area Framework’ that would raise the profile of Salisbury as an investment opportunity and guide the future development of the City.
The framework would provide a strategic urban vision for the city centre area, identifying character areas within it and make recommendations on the form of future development and interventions that can accelerate positive change, to enhance Salisbury as a place to live, work and visit.
The Board welcomed WC Director for Economic Recovery, Tom Dobrashian and Director at Tibbalds, Katja Stille, who delivered a presentation with opportunities to feedback views.
We are moving forward and aspire to be pioneering, with both private and public-sector investment in the city on a number of deliverable projects.
Talks with our stakeholders had informed the baseline report. Salisbury’s heritage was unique and draws a lot of tourism.
The baseline report had identified possible strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, constraints and threats to be considered.
Themes had emerged, these were:
· Character and distinctiveness
· Open space and landscape
· Getting around
· Creating vibrancy
· Bringing out the qualities
Those present were then asked if they agreed with the themes and objectives, and which three they felt were most important.
The Framework was set out into six areas, these were:
A map depicting where these areas may sit within the city was shown.
With regards to car parking and looking at the streets, there was big opportunity to make a lot of changes there. From a development perspective, we see heritage as a positive and want to build on that.
We know that younger people tend to move away and not come back. We are looking at how to retain our younger people.
Salisbury has a lot of strong stakeholders, it is our hope that we can encourage stronger joint working.
Salisbury is beautiful but we think it can do much better. Making more of the five rivers, and bringing out the history and environment.
Looking at existing projects that were already in place such as the High-street Fund and in the wider area, the Hospital and the Maltings. This framework would bring everything together. Making sure whatever happened on the sites supports the greater aim of the project.
Salisbury has Character Areas which we are looking at, establishing what they have to offer the city as a whole, pushing different purpose on to the individual areas to make more of them. The areas are:
· Cathedral
· Market Place
· Cultural quarter
· Meadows
· Chequers
People were again invited to contribute their views on the interventions in transforming the central area, and were asked which intervention was seen as the most transformative and what barriers might be involved during delivery.
Next steps:
· Ongoing work
• Further technical engagement and development of framework
• Public consultation in June
• Finalise framework and projects
Questions and comments:
· You did not include much on traffic, which is a problem in Salisbury and the surrounding area. Something needs to be done. We have had many consultations over the years, this has a similarity of the Vision mark 2. We don’t want promises and then nothing happens.
· 20 years ago there was a plan to pedestrianize Catherine Street and New Canal, the city is ready now, let’s move ahead and show people that we have achieved something.
· These are exciting ideas, we need to be positive, the real issue is the A36 and traffic. Need to solve that problem to allow some of these initiatives to fall into place. The question is, how do we get traffic out of the city.
· Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Group is another group. At the moment both groups are forming, it would be better to have both groups working together.
· You stated that there was a perceived lack of leadership, and yet there are many strong stakeholders in the city. We need to look at who is convening that and take this forward. This is a framework connected to all that is going on.
· Margaret Wilmott – Is there the potential for rail maintenance to move. Was anyone investigating the possibility of that area being used as the access to the engine shed site. Joined up thinking was needed, as that site may be suitable for housing. Answer: WC are working with SW Railways and Network Rail to see the potentials around that situation. They are looking at what the replacement rail will be.
· Steve Fear – there are some lessons to learn from the Vision. Some of the projects were partially completed. The bus station closed but a new interchange was never provided, so it made matters worse. Projects need to be achievable and need to make sure it deals with the issues now and not those from 10 years ago. You need to make sure we have something unique.
· Commercial viability. We need to build on our cultural capital, which is better than Winchester, if we are going to attract the investment. Otherwise we will end up with gated retirement flats.
· I left Salisbury 20 years ago and have only recently returned. The potential for tourism is one of our biggest attractions. Make the city something so that people want to stay and do more. Keep the visitors and they will spend the money.
· Things are starting to come together after many years. I would like to see more roads turned into pedestrian areas.
For direct enquiries contact: tom.dobrashian@wiltshire.gov.uk
Maltings Update Richard Walters – Head of Major Projects
At the last meeting we presented information on the principles of the Master Plan. Tonight I will update on the consultation so far, the initial feedback we have had and the process we are going through.
The consultation started on 15th April at 9am. There are display boards here at Five Rivers and in the Library. The consultation ends on 24th May at 5pm.
Spire FM and the Journal have both advertised the consultation and we have held an information day where we had many colleagues and partners there to take about all aspects of the site. We have so far had some encouraging responses and some criticisms.
Themes arising so far –
Next Steps
Analysing consultation data, and the consideration of the planning application at Strategic Planning on 19th June 2019.
Questions